PhilBoxing.com
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (November 26, 2008) -- Six-division world champion OSCAR DE LA HOYA reportedly beat up ... A CARNEGIE DELI CHEESECAKE!
Reports are sketchy, but it appears that an irate De La Hoya committed Pastrycide on the 11.25-pound, 12-inch chocolate cheesecake sent as a Thanksgiving gift to him at his training camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif. from his opponent MANNY PACQUIAO.
"I'm not too surprised Oscar was able to whip the cheesecake, look at what he did to that French pastry Patrick Charpentier back in 1998. That's his specialty," said Pacquiao's trainer World-Famous Freddie Roach. "However, he's going to find out that it's going to take more than dieting down to a Twiggy-like 145 pounds to beat Manny. Manny is no cream puff and he is looking forward to serving Oscar his just desserts at the MGM Grand on December 6."
DE LA HOYA TAKES THE CAKE!
PACQUIAO NOW AT 141 LBS
PhilBoxing.com
LOS ANGELES--Pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao yesterday came in at a very fit 141 lbs after an intense workout at the Wild Card Gym here as he continues preparation for his December 6 showdown with Oscar De la Hoya in the welterweight limit of 147 lbs.
Pacquiao went into the scale supervised by trainer Freddie Roach and Filipino trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri, with an HBO crew filming the 24/7 series also taking footages of the mock weigh-in.
After Pacquiao had weighed in, participants of Pacman's weight reduction program also followed suit, intent on the purpose of earning 2,000 dollars if they lose 10 lbs within two weeks or 3,000 if they lose 15 lbs in the same period.
Freddie Roach, in an interview with this writer, did not seem bothered by Pacquiao's current weight which is some six pounds below the contract weight.
"He's fine. We will still come in at 147 lbs come fight night," said Roach, who also supervised yesterday's 10-round sparring session.
So far, the Pacman has already logged in a total of 130 rounds of sparring, said trainer Buboy Fernandez.
According to nutritionist and trainer Nonoy Neri, Pacquiao did 1,020 sit-ups yesterday morning, and did 770 situps in the afternoon.
Pacquiao was visibly ecstatic yesterday as NBA star David West of the New Orleans Hornets came to see him train, saying he was a big fan of the Pacman.
In fact, Pacquiao showed West his dribbling skills and high-flying capabilities inside the ring, to West's amusement.
Meanwhile, feeling bad that Oscar has been starving himself in training camp to make weight, and even admitting that he would have to forego Thanksgiving dinner, Team Pacquiao has arranged for an 11.25-pound, 12-inch chocolate (rich in antioxidants) cheesecake from the world-famous Carnegie Deli in New York to be delivered to him today at Summit Camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif., where De la Hoya is training.
Team Pacquiao included the following card: “Oscar — Looking forward to serving you your just desserts on December 6. Happy Thanksgiving. From, Team Pacquiao.”
News PACMAN IN NON-STOP WORKOUT AT WILD CARD! News PACMAN IN NON-STOP WORKOUT AT WILD CARD!
PhilBoxing.com
LOS ANGELES--World boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao continues to dazzle and puzzle even those closest to him as he seems to get stronger by the day with just less than two weeks left before he wages battle with the legendary Oscar De la Hoya on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao was apparently fired up after reading a report that he continues to be the underdog in the upcoming 12-round duel.
The MGM Sportsbook, when visited the other day, indicated that De la Hoya is pegged as a minus 185 favorite to frustrate Pacquiao, while the fire-breathing Filipino fighter is at plus 155 to defeat the Golden Boy of boxing.
Yesterday, those figures seemed to have ignited the fire in Pacquiao's belly, as he did an eye-popping 33 rounds of workout under trainer Freddie Roach and Filipino trainers Buboy Fernandez and Nonoy Neri.
The Pacman hit the mitts for 15 rounds, shadow-boxed for 4 rounds, hit the speed ball for 3 rounds, another 3 rounds with the double-end ball, skipped ropes for 3 rounds, and capped it with another 5 rounds of shadow-boxing.
"The stamina is just endless. People are just amazed where he got all those energies," said a source when contacted by this writer.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao stated that he had watched the recent Ricky Hatton-Paulie Malignaggi fight, and expressed interest in fighting Hatton although he is focused on the task ahead against De la Hoya.
"I watched the fight between Hatton and Malignaggi," Pacquiao told boxing.fanhouse.com yesterday. "I'm ready to fight Hatton but right now I'm just focused on my next fight and I don't want to do something that would affect my training for my next fight."
Pacquiao’s secret, Hoya’s skills
MANILA, Philippines—What would Angelo Dundee do if he were in Freddie Roach’s place preparing Manny Pacquiao for the biggest fight of his career?
It would be too late by the time we’d be able to buttonhole Mr. Dundee.
This chance, we hope, should come during the final press conference at the Las Vegas MGM Grand’s Hollywood Theater on Wednesday.
Our credentials to the Dream Match have been cleared by Magna Media International, we broke the wife’s piggy bank and should be headed in the direction of the glittering Strip (from LA where we’ve reportedly been banned) early next week.
* * *
Last time we saw Mr. Dundee was in 1975 yet, moments after Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier in a brutal, bloody bout that has become an all-time classic.
The trainer of great champions, youngish with a full shock of hair, was outside the red gate of the Araneta Coliseum.
Dundee appeared in a great rush and I next heard him tell broadcaster Ronnie Nathnielsz, who sidelined as a prime liaison for the “Thrilla in Manila,” that he needed a ride to catch his connecting flight to Hong Kong.
* * *
Of course, Mr. Dundee will remember the gregarious Mr. Nathanielsz, whom Ali had invited to join his team.
No, I will no longer ask him who was with Nathanielsz then once I corner Mr. Dundee in Vegas.
But I’ve already prepared my questions.
Topping my list is this one about the wisdom of pumping up Pacquiao in order to, more or less, even up with Oscar De La Hoya in poundage, if not in reach and height.
* * *
I expect Dundee to retort with a routine gem:
“In the first place, size won’t matter in this fight.”
Why?
“Skills, it’s Oscar’s edge in talent, that will beat Manny Pacquiao.”
But this promises to be very tough.
“Oscar has fought tough guys all his life.”
So what will be the ultimate factor?
“What will determine the fight instead is who’s the better fighter overall, not necessarily who’s bigger, faster.”
* * *
OK, those were imaginary questions, which I hope to pose again once I’m favored with a close encounter with Mr. Dundee next week.
Of course, the answers were anything but fictional or imaginary.
I lifted these from a fresh interview with Dundee conducted by www.sportinglife.com of London and posted by www.philboxing.com Wednesday.
It’s like this. Out there at Roach’s Wild Card Gym, which I can’t hope to visit again, the owner-trainer has been insisting they have a new secret weapon which they will spring inside the ring come Dec. 6 at MGM Grand.
Surprised? Remember the infamous Manila Ice, which melted and vanished without any explanation inside the ring in a Pacquiao fight.
Was it against Marquez or Morales?
* * *
Regardless. At least, Dundee is not one to talk about any hidden agenda, and no sordid secrets, please.
“I know Oscar has talent he doesn’t know he has. He’s sure to bring this out on fight night,” Dundee says.
Care to elaborate, sir?
“Oscar will win not because he’s bigger, he will make it because he’s the better fighter.”
Well, lest you got carried away, it’s Nacho Beristain, not Dundee, who’ll be working the corner for De La Hoya.
Now a final word from the Golden Boy before they pack up at Big Bear.
“We’ve created a style that’s unbeatable. Nacho Beristain came into my life at a perfect time, at a perfect moment.”
That’s all for now. Uncle Bob Arum awaits you in Vegas.
LET HIM EAT CAKE!TEAM PACQUIAO BAKES UP THANKSGIVING SURPRISE FOR OSCAR DE LA HOYA
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (November 25, 2008) – Team Pacquiao has baked up a Thanksgiving surprise for six-time world champion OSCAR DE LA HOYA. De La Hoya has been claiming he’s been walking around the past two weeks at a Twiggy-like 145 pounds (curiously the recent segment of “24/7” showed him weighing 155 pounds), as he prepares for his 12-round welterweight super fight against boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter MANNY PACQUIAO.
Feeling bad that Oscar has been starving himself in training camp to make weight, and even admitting that he would have to forego Thanksgiving dinner, Team Pacquiao has arranged for an 11.25-pound, 12-inch chocolate (rich in antioxidants) cheesecake from the world-famous Carnegie Deli in New York to be delivered to him today at Summit Camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif., where he is training. Hey, he can do curls with it before he eats it!
Team Pacquiao included the following card: “Oscar — Looking forward to serving you your just desserts on December 6. Happy Thanksgiving. From, Team Pacquiao.”
*************************************************
NOTE: The cheesecake, which was FedExed from the Carnegie Deli’s bakery in New Jersey yesterday, arrived at the FedEx Rialto, California facility at 9:09 a.m. PST this morning where it is now on a truck headed to Oscar’s training camp for delivery later today.
This link will take you to the Carnegie Deli’s authentic world famous cheesecake recipe. http://www.carnegiedeli.com/recipe.html
************************************
HBO’s Emmy-Award-winning all-access franchise “24/7” returns with Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao in starring roles. The four-episode series “De La Hoya/Pacquiao 24/7” continues with a new episode This Sunday! November 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. Episodes one and two are available on HBO ON DEMAND.
“The Dream Match,” the 12-round welterweight collision between two of boxing’s biggest attractions, De La Hoya and Pacquiao, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, December 6 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, the bout will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. It is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, Inc., presented by Tequila Cazadores and sponsored by Ceverza Tecate, DeWalt Tools, Full Throttle Energy Drink, and Southwest Airlines, the fight sold out in hours, making it the second largest grossing gate in boxing history.
The De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao pay-per-view telecast will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.
MGM Grand will host closed circuit viewing in conjunction with the upcoming “Dream Match” between the ‘Golden Boy’ Oscar De La Hoya and Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao. Tickets for the closed circuit telecast are priced at $100 (preferred viewing) and $60, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and are now on sale at the MGM Grand ticket office outlets at the Concierge desk and the KÀ Theatre box office. Tickets also will be available by visiting www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 702-474-4000. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Additional MGM MIRAGE properties will host closed circuit viewing and tickets will go on sale at a later date
Trainer aims jabs at new, if familiar, foe
De La Hoya too slow to stop Pacquiao, says man who once worked in opposite corner
Trainers Buboy Fernandez, left, and Freddie Roach unwrap Manny Pacquiao’s hands after a workout at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, Calif., where Pacquiao is preparing for his Dec. 6 welterweight fight against Oscar De La Hoya.
Thu, Nov 27, 2008 (2 a.m.)
There’s no bluster, no hyperbole.
It’s as cold and clean and decimating as a straight right hand that connects with the tip of the jawbone.
In the gym last week at his Wild Card Boxing Club, where he is training Manny Pacquiao for his Dec. 6 welterweight fight against Oscar De La Hoya, Roach laid out his analysis of the match.
It included biting criticism of De La Hoya’s mental state, his training routine, his trainer, his right hand, his ability to deal with left-handers in the ring, his age and his stamina.
Whew.
The classic diatribe culminated in Roach describing De La Hoya as weak of mind and weak of body.
He did it in typical Roach fashion, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone, with his signature quiet but simmering intensity that always leaves you thinking Nick Nolte should play him in the biopic.
The temptation is to dismiss some of the commentary as mere motivational fodder designed to inspire his fighter. The sport’s consensus pound-for-pound champion, Pacquiao will fight the most important bout of his career against the man who wields more clout than anyone in boxing.
But if Freddie Roach was acting, he deserves one of those stars on the sidewalk a few blocks north of the world-renowned Wild Card.
In recounting a major reason he agreed to train Pacquiao to face De La Hoya, for instance, Roach thought back to the specific details of an incident in the early stages of De La Hoya’s camp preceding his 2007 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Roach, who was training De La Hoya at the time, brought in left-hander Ivan Calderon, then a 105-pound world champion.
“I wanted Oscar to spar with Calderon for the first week, just to get his feet wet,” Roach said. “And Oscar just couldn’t hit this guy, no matter how hard he tried. This little southpaw was too quick for him.
“I remember it very well, because I got very mad and said, ‘Oscar, go hit this guy once and show him who the boss is.’ He just couldn’t do it. That’s why I know Pacquiao can use his speed to outmaneuver Oscar. He’s just too fast for Oscar, I believe.”
De La Hoya disputes this particular account of l’affaire de Calderon. But in Roach’s mind it was enough to persuade him to back Pacquiao, a reigning lightweight champ who built his fearsome reputation by winning world titles at 112, 122 and 130 pounds.
De La Hoya returns to welterweight in the Dec. 6 bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena after fighting at 154 pounds or higher for the past seven years.
“Size doesn’t win fights,” Roach said. “Speed and strategy win fights. Manny’s stronger and faster. He’s just not taller.”
Roach also relishes the opportunity to face off with an old nemesis, De La Hoya’s new trainer, Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain.
Bad blood between the two men can be traced to an episode in which Roach attempted to put his arm around Beristain’s shoulders for a photographer. Beristain rebuffed him, uttering a vulgar phrase in Spanish that essentially questioned Roach’s manhood. Roach became livid when he later found out how the words translated.
“I never liked Nacho,” Roach said. “The guy disrespected me.”
Under Beristain, a slimmed-down De La Hoya has opted to train at or slightly below the 147-pound welterweight limit. Roach, however, sees that tactic as favoring his fighter.
“Oscar might be at weight, but he’s killing himself to make it,” Roach said. “I think he’s going to be weak going into the fight. I believe they’re taking us lightly.”
Roach has clashed with De La Hoya on whether the fighter abandoned their blueprint in the middle rounds of his loss to Mayweather. He predicted Pacquiao, with his quickness and lateral movement, will throw De La Hoya off his game plan once the men enter the ring.
“Oscar loses focus in there,” Roach said. “His mind wanders. I know his habits pretty well. There’s some tension between us, but it’s nothing personal with me. It’s just that mentally he loses sight of the game plan at times. He blamed me for the loss to Mayweather, and hopefully he’ll be blaming me for losing this one too.
“Some people are weak-minded, like Oscar. Some people are strong-minded, like Manny.”
For his part, Pacquiao would not touch that one. The most popular public figure in his native Philippines, Pacquiao plays it down the middle in interviews. His pleasant, low-key personality is one reason. Another is the fact that English is not his first language.
“For me, it’s all about doing my job in the ring, winning the fight,” Pacquiao said.
He and Roach mesh well, Pacquiao said. He loves running in the hills above Hollywood, and he thrives in the gritty urban atmosphere around the gym, which presents a stark contrast to the pastoral environs of De La Hoya’s camp in Big Bear Lake, Calif., 100 miles to the east.
Sure, he naturally feels some pressure, but no more than De La Hoya does. De La Hoya is 39-5 with 30 knockouts but just 3-3 in his past six fights; Pacquiao is 47-3-2 with 35 knockouts.
De La Hoya will be the most skilled opponent he has faced, not just the biggest, Pacquiao said. He’s prepared to slug it out with De La Hoya toe-to-toe or fight a more tactical match, and he’s ready to make such an adjustment on the fly.
A victory by knockout or by decision would be equally sweet.
“Every fighter believes in his power, and me, too,” Pacquiao said. “I believe in my power. So the knockout would be a bonus.”
Pacquiao has been training at 151 pounds, with 6 percent body fat. His well-muscled physique came from plyometrics (loading then contracting muscles in rapid sequence) and a high-protein diet rather than weightlifting, Roach said. He expects Pacquiao to officially weigh in at 147 pounds and step into the ring weighing 150.
Under Roach’s direction, Pacquiao has sparred with up-and-coming professionals such as Rashad Holloway, Marvin Cordova and Amir Khan. Roach placed a $1,000 cash bonus on the table for any sparring partner who knocks Pacquiao down during a session. No one has collected.
“I can take (De La Hoya’s) punches,” Pacquiao said. “I spar against bigger guys and I can handle their power.”
Just as impressive, Roach said, is Pacquiao’s willingness to learn, to adapt. Roach called it an about-face from his experience with De La Hoya, who tends to pay attention to just one man: Oscar De La Hoya.
“Oscar is Oscar,” Roach said. “He’s had a lot of success, and he’s not going to change. At this point he doesn’t listen to anybody but himself.”
Jeff Haney can be reached at 259-4041 or at haney@lasvegassun.com.
PACQUIAO WATCH: The beauty of guaranteed purse
By Edwin G. Espejo
PhilBoxing.com
BOTH Golden Boy Promotion and Top Rank top executives are now downsizing and downplaying their earlier huge forecast on pay per view (PPV) buys for the December 6 (December 7 Philippine time) fight between Oscar dela Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.
From a high estimate of topping or equaling the 2.15 million buys generated by the Dela Hoya-Mayweather Jr. ticket last year, the promoters of the Dream Match are now saying 1.5 million PPV buys would already be a 'smash hit' given the recession that is hitting the US economy.
Scalpers who anticipated to make a killing earlier cornered the live ticket sales are now reportedly having a hard time moving tickets valued at $1,500 where before these could command a pricey tag of up to $35,000 each.
That is why this corner has always prodded Pacquiao lawyer Jeng Gacal, a fellow 1977 graduate of the Marist Notre Dame school system in General Santos, to always include in the fight contract proviso of Manny a guaranteed purse clause.
For the Dela Hoya tiff, a $10 million dollar guaranteed pay slip plus substantial share on the upside of the PPV and other sales (live and close circuit television tickets and cable and free TV proceeds) were broached.
After all, it was money above all that made Team Pacquiao decide to take on Dela Hoya's offer aside from a shot at boxing immortality.
Dela Hoya's initial offer to Manny was a flat out 70-30 split on PPV buys that was promptly rejected by Team Pacquiao and which turned out to be a good decision.
Given the confidentiality of fight contracts of Pacquiao in the past, we can only assume Jeng did his homework well especially during these times when credit crunches are hitting every economy tied to the 'free market' mode of production that is capitalism.
So, those freeloaders and 'free-lunchers' lurking when Manny comes home after his date with dela Hoya better brace themselves for disappointment.
At the max, Manny will earn a gross of $15 million, half of that will go to the taxman in the US and to his trainer and other members of the Team Pacquiao, which includes Jeng of course.
Before their eyes roll down the $ sign, these freeloaders should realize that the world economic crisis is here to stay – at least for the next 18 months.
Those who are looking at the anticipated Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton square-off and/or a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fantasy match next year should not expect these will fatten their bank accounts and feed their insatiable greed.
The dela Hoya bonanza could be the last of the big ticket fights and PPV events in the many years to come.
That is why it is a must for Manny to win convincingly or lose gallantly to keep his lofty ranking afloat.
That way, he could always command at least half of what Oscar is now guaranteeing him.
Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao's Sparring Partners Get $1,000 if They Knock Him Down
As the great boxing trainer Freddie Roach gets Manny Pacquiao prepared for his fight on December 6 against Oscar De La Hoya, he has an interesting incentive for Pacquiao's sparring partners: Knock him down and get some cold, hard cash."I don't hire sparring partners, I hire real fighters -- contenders who can really push Manny," Roach said on HBO's 24/7 show. "Sparring in my gym is not play. ... It's pretty much a fight, the only rule is if you hurt somebody you don't finish them. ... Sparring partners have a job to do, and the thing is, if they knock Manny down, they get a $1,000 bonus."
Roach says his biggest concern heading into the fight is De La Hoya's jab, so that's what the sparring partners are working. So far, none of Pacquiao's sparring partners (including Amir Khan) have been able to collect that $1,000 bonus. But with cash on the line, you can bet they're trying.
Pacquiao eyes career-defining win vs. De La Hoya
By David Leon Moore, USA TODAY
LOS ANGELES — At the end of Manny Pacquiao's long workout at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood, after the 100 or so lucky fans who have been waiting outside in the parking lot have been let in to see their hero, Team Pacquiao calls for a moment of silence.
Then Pacquiao walks to one corner of the ring, bows his head into the ropes, and the noisy gym becomes respectfully silent.
A minute or so later, Pacquiao raises his head and walks across the ring, smiling at the admiring crowd.
"Amen," some of the fans say.
Pacquiao, the 29-year-old Filipino lightweight champion who is considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, repeats this routine daily as he prepares for his much-anticipated showdown in Las Vegas on Dec. 6 against Oscar De La Hoya.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Las Vegas | God | Hollywood | Philippines | Oscar De La Hoya | Filipino | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Ricky Hatton | Manny Pacquiao | Freddie | Roach
The ring prayer represents half of what Pacquiao says makes him such a great fighter, a fierce competitor who started as a 106-pound teenager and has held world titles at 112, 122, 130 and 135 pounds.
The other half is what he has just done in the two hours before his prayer — a grueling, non-stop workout focusing on speed, strength, strategy and endurance.
"What I have done in my career," he says, "is because of my hard work and my belief in God."
It's a career that would take a quantum leap if he can take down De La Hoya at 147 pounds, the welterweight limit. Pacquiao has never before fought in a division higher than lightweight, where the limit is 135 pounds. De La Hoya will presumably have an advantage in power, as well as in height and reach. So it is De La Hoya, though he is six years older, who is considered the favorite.
That's precisely why Team Pacquiao believes a victory will be a turning point for the feisty southpaw who is a national hero in his native Philippines.
"Twenty years from now, 30, 40 years, I want my name to be at the top level of boxing history," Pacquiao says. "That's why it's really important for me to win this fight. It's the biggest fight of my career.
"The point of this fight is to do something that people will never forget."
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's longtime trainer, says a victory "would elevate Manny to superstar status. He's not quite there yet. This is definitely a turning point."
Their strategy to pull off the upset is partly obvious and partly a secret Roach says he learned when he trained De La Hoya in a losing effort against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"It's no secret Manny has to take the jab away from Oscar, get inside the jab, fight at short range," Roach says. "Oscar is a distance fighter. He has long arms. I don't think it's a huge problem. But it is our biggest problem.
"And it's no secret we're going to attack the body first and break him down."
So what is the secret?
"All the techniques we apply right now, we don't tell to anybody," Pacquiao says. "Just me and Freddie only."
Roach says this much: "I know why Oscar's jab in the Mayweather fight stopped working. Mayweather didn't make an adjustment. Oscar forgot to do something."
What?
"You'll see," Roach says. "That's part of our game plan, of course. It will happen in the fight."
The much-discussed jump in weight is really much ado about nothing, Pacquiao says.
"My regular weight when I'm not training is 155," he says. "Right now I'm about 150 and I think I'm in better shape than I've ever been. I'm ready to fight."
As for a game plan if Pacquiao wins, Roach says he'd like Pacquiao to fight twice more.
"I'd like to see him fight Ricky Hatton (the 140-pound champ) and beat Hatton, which I think we can," the trainer says. "I think Floyd Mayweather will come back. I'd like to see Manny fight Floyd and beat him, and then call it a day. He'd have nothing else to prove.
"He'd be considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. He'd be a champion in five weight divisions."
How does that sound to Pacquiao?
"He said that?" Pacquiao says. "Two more? OK. That's fine. That's enough."
PACMAN TO SPEND $500K FOR FREELOADERS, AND STILL COUNTING By Salven L. Lagumbay PhilBoxing.com
LOS ANGELES -- In tickets alone, pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao revealed yesterday that he has already spent about $550,000 (roughly P27,500,000) to be given away to friends who will be flying in to watch his December 6 "Dream Match" against Oscar De la Hoya.
In an interview with this writer yesterday at his Palazzo residence here, Pacquiao informed that these friends include politicians, celebrities and others whose ticket he will be shouldering once they come for the fight.
"Yan ang current expenses ko sa ticket lang. Kasali na dyan mga politicians, artista at sila lahat. Mga kaibigan ko lahat," Pacquiao stated, adding that the figure can still balloon once more friends show up at the fight.
Pacquiao also added that the figure does not include the tickets that he has purchased for himself, although he did not cite the exact amount.
The Visayan Daily Star has quoted Pacquiao's personal secretary Bren Evangelio as saying that the boxing icon had shouldered in the past Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s travel expenses, ticket for the fight and hotel accommodation, except for his pocket money.
The clarification, according to the report, was made after a Commission on Audit report distributed to the media by some quarters recently, stated that in 2005 alone, the city government spent P262,273,00.84 for payment/reimbursement of traveling expenses.
PACMAN, JINKEE IN A CLASS ALL THEIR OWN
Manny and Jinkee.
LOS ANGELES--For RMN-DyHP/SunStar Superbalita mediaman Edward Ligas, who is in the US for the first time to cover Manny Pacquiao's December 6 fight, Pacman and his wife Jinkee are a class all their own.
This is an observation shared by Philboxing.com editor Salven Lagumbay and founder Dong Secuya, who accompanied Ligas for his first American coverage.
"Manny is a truly caring and heroic individual. He is an icon of our times, someone who comes to our midst only one in every hundred years," opines Ligas, who got the surprise of his life when, upon his first time to set foot at the Wild Card Gym, he was warmly greeted by Pacquiao when the Filipino icon saw him inside Freddie Roach's sweatshop.
Personally, I think Pacquiao has grown from being a mere world champion into an icon of epic proportion, and somebody who is very capable of becoming the greatest boxer of all times. If that sounds sacrilegeous, especially to those who love Muhammad Ali to death, then let that be. I, too, am a lifetime Ali fan, and will forever cherish what he has done to the sport and to humanity. But Pacquiao is probably the only living fighter who has a reasonable chance at beating Ali to the finish line.
If Pacquiao successfully defeats the legendary Oscar De la Hoya on December 6, a task that will be all too Herculean, Pacquiao steps within striking distance to that "Greatest" title. The task ahead won't be easy though, as Pacquiao himself concedes. De la Hoya is a true living legend, a fighter in the strictest sense of the word. However, Pacman has made sure he does his every share of the preparation, and come what may, don't shed a tear for the Pacman. He'll go into the fight at peace with himself, knowing that he has done his share of the hard work, and only God knows what's in store for him inside that ring.
Pacquiao is a true peoples' champion.
When Philboxing.com visited him at the Wild Card Gym on Wednesday, Pacquiao has remained our friend, despite several months of not seeing us. We were just one of the faces in the crowd, but Pacquiao went out of his way to greet us.
"Kanus-a mo naabot? Kumusta?" (When did you arrive? How are you?), Pacquiao would greet us, while at the same time hitting those speed bags inside Wild Card Gym.
Of course, that was the complete opposite of several of our experience in the past, where we would go out of our way to visit a fighter in a gym located in a foreign land, and once we step into the gym, still dazed by the jetlag, we don't even get a simple 'hi' or a handshake. We don't need to be pampered, but we know how it feels to be treated like you belong.
Today, during Pacquiao's sparring at the Wild Card gym, wife Jinkee came in accompanied by his sister Janet and two male companions. Jinkee, who is due to give birth in December to their fourth child, is just as warm and nice as the Pacman.
She would address us by our first name, and would ask us how we are. She would also ask us where we are staying, genuinely concerned knowing we are not from this place. And of course, she's always there to chat us up into feeling like we belong, while at the same time making sure she keeps herself to the sidelines.
To Manny and Jinkee, you're a class all your own. May you continue to be blessed as you are, and here's wishing you the best come December 6.
"OSCAR WILL BE CARRYING A SUITCASE FULL OF BLUES WHEN HE ENTERS HIS GOLDEN YEARS OF RETIREMENT AS A FIGHTER ON DECEMBER 6."
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. -- Seer, soothsayer and two-time BWAA Trainer of the Year, World-Famous Freddie Roach, made another bold prediction at his Hollywood-based Wild Card Boxing Club, where he is training five-division world champion and No. 1 Pound-for-Pound fighter MANNY PACQUIAO for his 12-round welterweight super fight against "The Golden Boy" OSCAR DE LA HOYA.
"Oscar stated in his media conference call that training to fight Manny has put the fire back in his belly. If he thinks he has a fire in his belly now, wait until Manny starts landing right and left hooks there. Oscar's belly will be a raging inferno," Roach cooly stated. "I have never seen Manny look better. He is as close to a complete fighter as he has ever been. His speed, footwork and stamina are supreme. But it's his power that has surpassed anything I could have hoped for. Manny is ready to fight a full three minutes of every round for as many rounds this fight goes. Oscar may look the part of a welterweight fighter by dieting down to a Twggy 145 pounds, but that doesn't mean he can pull the trigger at his age and act the part of a welterweight fighter. Not against a Manny Pacquiao. Oscar will be carrying a suitcase full of blues when he enters his golden years of retirement as a fighter on December 6. But at least he'll look fit and trim in his designer business suits."
PACQUIAO VS DE LA HOYA: "HE WHO BREATHES BETTER SHALL WIN"
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 21 Nov 2008
Dr. Wilk.
LOS ANGELES -- The upcoming clash between two superstars Oscar De la Hoya and Manny Pacquiao will be decided on who between the two fighter "out-breathes" the other better.
This was the opinion made by Dr. Wilhelm Wilk in an interview with Philboxing.com yesterday here. Wilk visited the Wild Card Gym yesterday to see old pal Rob Peters, and at the same time watch the Filipino boxing icon in training.
Wilk, who is based in Torrence and Van Nuys, had previously fitted mouthguards for Tommy Hearns and Oscar De la Hoya.
"You have to understand that the most important muscle for a boxer is the diaphragm, and the boxer who most efficiently breathes will have a huge advantage over his opponent," said Wilk.
Mexican champions rooting for Manny Pacquiao?
Oscar De La Hoya had a conference call earlier this week to talk about his Dec. 6 fight against Manny Pacquiao on HBO PPV. One interesting item came up. Apparently Oscar, a Mexican-American, has invited a bunch of Mexican legends to the fight. Some of them, though, may not be rooting for Oscar. Here are some of the exchanges from the call's transcript:
Q: You invited roughly around 10 to 15 ex-world champions from Mexico to the fight how did that go and what fighters are confirmed?
A: I had the pleasure of going down to Mexico in my last visit about a couple of months ago before I started training camp for some business. And it so happened that there were about 20 champions, past champions, the greats from Mexico, who were there at the press conference and I invited all of them to the fight. And they all accepted and so we're very glad. I feel very fortunate to have these great legends, talking about the fight and the Chiquita Gonzalezes and Pipino Cuevases of this world, the greats from Mexico who will be supporting me 100%.
Q: You said about 20 of the Mexican champions are going to accept an invitation to the fight. Does that include Julio Cesar Chavez?
A: Well, I believe Chavez is going to be on Pacquiao's side. I heard Chavez and (Antonio) Margarito are going to be on Pacquiao's side.
Q: Does that bother you at all that Mexico's greatest champion is going to be on the other side?
A: Oh, no, not at all because the one fighter that I looked up to the most or the fighters from Mexico that I looked up to the most will be on my side, which is Ruben Olivares, Pipino Cuevas, Chiquita Gonzalez, and Finito Lopez. So those types of fighters are the fighters that I really admired growing up.
If Chavez and Margarito are rooting for Pac Man, the reasons are pretty obvious. Oscar beat Chavez twice and has refused -- along with just about everyone else -- to fight Margarito.
Will Oscar De La Hoya Really Be Bigger Than Manny Pacquiao on December 6?
by Michael David SmithWhen I spoke today to Freddie Roach, the trainer for Manny Pacquiao, he told me he isn't worried about the size advantage that Oscar De La Hoya will have when they fight on December 6.
But what if it turns out that De La Hoya doesn't have any size advantage at all?
After talking to Roach -- who told me Pacquiao weighs 151 pounds right now -- I talked to De La Hoya's trainer, Nacho Beristain, and he told me something stunning: As De La Hoya has trained for this fight, his weight dipped all the way down to 146 pounds.
Beristain said he was concerned by that, and that once they got more carbs and protein into his system, De La Hoya got back up to 150. But that's still a pound less than Pacquiao. So much for De La Hoya having a size advantage.
Both fighters will weigh in at 147 pounds on December 5, and once they rehydrate for Saturday night's fight, I think De La Hoya will have a slight weight advantage, as well as, obviously, a height and reach advantage of a few inches. But overall, I have to agree with Roach: De La Hoya's size advantage isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Freddie Roach: Manny Pacquiao's Fight With Oscar De La Hoya Will Be Decided by Speed
Manny Pacquiao is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, but he's an underdog in his December 6 fight against Oscar De La Hoya because De La Hoya is bigger than Pacquiao.But Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, told me today that he thinks the size difference between the fighters has been overblown, and that speed will win this fight.
"He's handling the bigger sparring partners well," Roach said. "When I saw how he handled the bigger sparring partners, I was very pleased."
Roach said Pacquiao weighs 151 pounds right now, he'll easily make the 147-pound limit for the fight, and he'll walk into the ring at about 150 pounds.
"We have him on a diet with a lot of protein to keep his weight stabilized," Roach said. "He's been about the same weight in camp. We didn't do any weightlifting to make him bigger because I believe speed wins this fight. His body fat is 6% and his weight is really good."
Roach said he expects De La Hoya will weigh about 160 pounds when he walks into the ring, adding, "I think speed wins this fight, not size. It's not an issue at all."
GOMEZ SAYS DE LA HOYA WILL BE SIDELINED IF HE DOESN’T WIN
PhilBoxing.com
Golden Boy Promotions Vice President and international matchmaker Eric Gomez s says that if “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t beat Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, then De La Hoya will no longer be in the limelight as a fighter.
In an overseas telephone conversation with www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports from Chengdu, China where he attended the 46th Annual Convention of the WBC, Gomez said De La Hoya “will be sidelined if he can’t win” his “Dream Match” with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand on December 6.
Gomez who grew up with De La Hoya in the same East Los Angeles neighborhood said they were making sure that De La Hoya doesn’t pay attention to that he is “ too big and too strong for Manny” and it would be an easy fight.
Gomez said De La Hoya “is not listening to that” and is “getting ready preparing hard” for the December 6 showdown in Las Vegas.
He said De La Hoya was looking good and would be ready when he steps into the ring for what may well be a fight that could end his career and sideline him.
The hype for the “Dream Match” continues even as we understand that HBO which will telecast the fight on pay-per-view is taking steps to enhance the buys and to prevent if not minimize piracy which appears to be a major problem hurting promoters, fighters and the PPV networks.
Head trainers Freddie Roach and Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain will be featured in an international conference call on Monday in Los Angeles (Tuesday, Manila Time) with Pacquiao’s team of Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Roach featured at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Beristain will be thirty minutes later.
Pacquiao, Ring Magazines No. 1 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world will himself host a media conference call on November 24, one week after De La Hoya takes center stage on November 17. Schaefer and Arum will take their turn on December 1, five days before the “Dream Match.”
Pacquiao to push Hoya to the limit
By Abac Cordero
It’s Oscar dela Hoya, and not Manny Pacquiao, who’s going to run out of steam as the “Dream Match” enters the crucial rounds on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Freddie Roach said Pacquiao will make sure it happens.
“That’s what we’re going to do. Push the issue,” the celebrated American trainer told DogHouseBoxing.com in a recent interview at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Roach said Pacquiao, in the thick of training for the biggest and heaviest fight in his career, has been training to last the whole 12 rounds against his legendary opponent.
“If the knockout comes it’ll be a bonus. That’ll be gravy. But you know, Pacquiao doesn’t train to knock people out. He trains to fight twelve hard rounds,” Roach told Gabriel Montoya.
“Make Oscar fight three minutes of every round. I think we will get him somewhere along the way because he does tire. But you know, obviously Oscar is a great fighter. I’m confident but I know it’s not going to be easy.”
Roach said letting the other camp know what their battle plan is wouldn’t change the outcome of the match.
“Well, obviously we have to get past the jab. We know that. It’s not a secret. People say that I shouldn’t be telling my strategy but who doesn’t know that. I mean, c’mon. Oscar is going to be using the jab.
“That’s going to be the key to him dictating the pace of the fight is to use his jab effectively. We got to take the jab away from him and that’s what we been working on. So far it’s working well,” said Roach.
Pacquiao has been working harder than ever for this fight, and his promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, is amazed.
“I’ve seen no fighter in the history of boxing with the stamina of Manny Pacquiao. I’ve been in the business since 1966 and I haven’t seen anything like it,” said Arum last Saturday.
Manny Pacquiao Update!
Apparently, the sanction fee which was initially reported as being charged on Manny Pacquiao for the Oscar De La Hoya fight is actually an amount that the Filipino fighter owes to the World Boxing Council from a previous fight.
Last Friday in Chengdu, China, WBC president Jose Sulaiman read a statement during their convention castigating Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz who reportedly reneged on their promise to pay the sanction fee for the David Diaz fight last June.
“First, the WBC has a rule that all Champions and challengers must pay a 3% sanction fee to the organization; they humiliated the WBC by questioning the pending $ 30,000 dollars in his fight against David Diaz, which he himself promised to pay many months ago, but now Mr. Koncz is informing us that he has to talk with the Promoter to see if they are paying or not such money,” said Sulaiman.
In the same statement Sulaiman revealed that Pacquiao, or at least among his handlers, are already targeting a fight either against Ricky Hatton or Floyd Mayweather, Jr. after the De La Hoya fight.
In acknowledging their hold of the WBC lightweight crown, the Pacquiao camp asked permission to allow the Filipino champion to hang on to his WBC belt in fighting De La Hoya. In return, Pacquiao offered to pay $20,000. Sulaiman however considered the amount as some sort of a “dole out”.
“Second, they requested permission to fight Oscar De La Hoya, with the WBC approval. In this fight we estimate that he might make more than Ten Million Dollars and he offered to pay only $ 20,000, like if the WBC were beggars. The WBC rules are very clear regarding WBC Champions fighting without defending his title,” said Sulaiman.
Sulaiman added his concern regarding other ranked fighters of the lightweight division should they allow Pacquiao to hold onto his crown by fighting either Hatton or Mayweather, Jr. after the De La Hoya fight.
“Which means that the WBC must freeze the WBC Lightweight title for more than a year, taking away all opportunities to all fighters who are fighting everyday to win and fight for the title, to find that there is a barrier and they can not,” Sulaiman said.
The WBC leader then announced that a unanimous voting among delegates of the 164 nations present in China grants Pacquiao 15 days to pay $30,000 that they promised before the fight against Diaz.
“In regards with his fight against Oscar De La Hoya, instead of the 1.5% that he must pay, which are half of the 3% stated in the rules, he must pay $100,000 as sanction fee if he wants to keep the title of the WBC,” added Sulaiman.
In ending his statement Sulaiman clarified that their intention is to protect fighters while at the same time help destitute boxers.
“The WBC has nothing against boxers, as we have a pension plan to help with food and medicine many ex-boxers in the world; the WBC is only working for the safety of boxers and not one single member officer of the WBC gets any compensation from the WBC or boxing whatsoever,” said Sulaiman.Review of WBC sanction system urged
MANILA, Philippines—A review and revision of the sanctioning system applied in world professional boxing is imperative following the latest misunderstanding that victimized boxing hero Manny Pacquiao.
This was the advice yesterday to World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman by lawyer Rudy Salud, the founding secretary general of the top world boxing body.
Sulaiman last week denounced and threatened Pacquiao, accusing him of reneging on his obligations to the WBC totaling $130,000 in sanction fees.
It was later established that the accusation was baseless, and that the enormous amount initially assessed Pacquiao was a result of miscommunication.
Pacquiao, whom the overanxious Sulaiman threatened with revocation of his world lightweight title during the recent WBC convention in Chengdu, China, has responded with admirable maturity.
After assuring Sulaiman he would promptly pay up whatever amount is necessary once properly assessed and advised, Pacquio told the WBC head he’s keeping the lines open for a dialogue.
Salud said he found it surprising, if not outright ridiculous, how Sulaiman suddenly decided to charge Pacquiao in sanction fees for the Dream Match, which the WBC president had earlier dismissed as a “fight between a pachyderm and a hobbit horse.”
There’s no title at stake in Pacquiao’s monumental fight against Oscar De La Hoya in Las Vegas on Dec. 6.
The fight is not sanctioned by the WBC and will be supervised by the Nevada State Commission.
“Granting that the sanction fee is legal, Pacquiao being a WBC champion carrying his title in another fight, what basis did they use to come up with the enormous percentage?” Salud asked.
Sulaiman was obviously swayed by the claim made by jaded international promoter Don King that Pacquiao stands to earn as much as $20 million against De La Hoya, and paying a paltry sum “would be a theft.”
However, Golden Boy Promotions vice president Eric Gomez was quick to assure that Pacquiao stands to earn a lot less, “maybe less than $10 million.”
“If one champion, like (former IBF minimumweight king Florante) Condes, was assessed $300 for 3 percent of his purse totaling $10,000 why would another world champion be charged exorbitantly?” Salud asked.
“There should be a sane system of determining sanction fees. A champion indeed uses his crown to claim fame, but isn’t the WBC itself using the greatness of this champ to enhance its prestige?”
The WBC definitely owes Pacquiao tremendous prestige that can’t be weighed in dollars, he added.
PAG-AASINTA SA BULL'S EYE
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 09 Nov 2008
LOS ANGELES — Magandang araw po ulit sa inyong lahat, mga ginigiliw kong tagasubaybay ng kolum na ito. Sana ay nasa mabuti kayong kalagayan gaya ng inyong abang lingkod.
Handang-handa na ako sa laban at paganda na nang paganda ang aking kondisyon halos isang buwan na lang ang nalalabi bago kami tuluyang magbanggaan ni Oscar Dela Hoya sa ibabaw ng ring sa MGM Grand Arena sa Las Vegas.
Ang tinaguriang "Dream Match" na aming wawakasan sa Disyembre 6 ni Dela Hoya ay magiging isa sa pinakamalaki at pinakamagandang laban ng taon sa larangan ng boksing dahil lubos naming gustong manalo at magtapos ang laban na ang resulta ay magiging isa sa mga tatalakayin at pag-uusapang laban sa mahabang panahon.
Kaya naman, wala akong pinalalampas na bagay sa paghahanda ko. Lahat ng mga sangkap upang magwawagi tayo sa laban na ito ay aking ginagawang lahat, kasama na riyan iyong pagbubuhos ng buo kong lakas sa training.
Kaya naman, pagkatapos ng isang matinding araw sa gym, kadalasan ay umuuwi kami agad sa aking apartment at nagagawa naming maglibang at mag-relax upang mapawi ang pagod.
Bukod sa pag-gitara, paglalaro ng chess, pagkanta sa karaoke at marami pang ibang pinagkakaabalahan, ako ngayon ay nalilibang sa paglalaro ng darts. Hindi pa gaanong matagal mula nang mag-umpisa akong maglaro ng sport na ito at masasabi kong malaki na ang aking ipinagbago. At maganda ang resulta ng aking paglalaro dahil nakikita ng aking mga kasambahay ang malaking pag-improve ng aking game.
Maganda ang darts dahil itinuturo ng sport na ito ang kapangyarihan ng ating utak at pag-iisip at ang pagkunekta nito sa ating pangangatawan. Kapag magaling ka na sa larong darts, kung ano ang iisipin mong gusto mong patamaan, kadalasan ay tinatamaan mo. Kadalasan ngayon, medyo malaki na ang bahagdan ng aking pagiging asintado at kinagigiliwan ko ito.
Parang sa boksing din, itinuturing kong bull's eye si Dela Hoya at doon ako naka-focus ngayon. Alam kong mahirap patamaan ang bull's eye pero dahil na rin sa aking pagsisikap at pagtitiyaga, sa tingin ko, hindi mahirap na matatamaan ko ito ng hindi lang isang beses. Sana, kapag natamaan na natin ang bull's eye, tayong lahat ay magsasaya at sasayaw sa mga kalye ng bawat sulok ng bansa.
Sa Disyembre rin, pagkatapos ng aking laban, ako ay magpapa-tournament ng darts sa Pilipinas at gusto kong maging malaki ito at sasalihan ng lahat ng mga magagaling na darters ng Pilipinas at ng iba pang bansa.
Magbibigay ako ng P2 Million na prize fund at sa ngayon, marami nang mga tao ang nagpahiwatig ng kanilang interes sa pagsali rito.
Sana po ay tuluyan ninyo pa rin akong suportahan sa lahat ng bagay, para lahat tayo ay makatama sa ating mga pansariling mga bull's eye sa ating mga buhay.
Hanggang sa muling Kumbinasyon. God Bless Us All.
* * *
Freddie Roach on the Oscar De La Hoya Secret Strategy - It Ain't No Secret!
By Johnny Benz, Doghouse Boxing (Nov 8, 2008) DoghouseBoxing.com (Photo © Laura De la Torre)
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Amongst many of the questions asked to Roach, Montoya asked him what has been the biggest adjustmentfor Manny fighting these bigger guys? (Pacquiao has been training with naturally bigger fighters.)
Roach wasn't worried he'd be handing out any secrets, noting everyone knows Pacquiao will need to get past and nullify De La Hoya's Jab. Roach tells Doghouse Boxing, "Well, obviously we have to get past the jab. We know that. It’s not a secret."
Roach went on to add, that he's not worried about talking strategy, stating: "People say that I shouldn't be telling my strategy but who doesn't know that. I mean, c'mon. Oscar is going to be using the jab. That's going to be the key to him dictating the pace of the fight is to use his jab effectively."
Roach added that things are working out well, stating: "We got to take the jab away from him and that's what we been working on. So far it's working well."
THE HEART OF MANNY PACQUIAO
PhilBoxing.com
Who would even believe that in the thick of the preparation for the biggest fight of his life -- money and prestige-wise -- boxing icon Manny Pacquiao would still find time to make a call in the middle of the night to a friend in the Philippines to give an assurance that he would take care of two still unknown and unproven fighters?
Yes, he did. At about 3 p.m. on Nov. 2, as I and my family gathered in our old rural house and talked about life not far from the tombs of our loved ones, I received an unregistered call.
First, it was his publicist -- Winchell Campos, then his lawyer, Jeng Gacal, and finally, it was Manny Pacquiao himself, who talked to me. And it was 12 midnight in Los Angeles, California.
"I'm sorry. I did not know that they are still in the US. I thought they went home to the Philippines," Manny apologetically told me referring to featherweight Glenn Gonzales and bantamweight Jundy Maraon who were earlier signed up by Top Rank for a 4-fight-a-year 3-year contract.
Since arriving in the US in April this year, Gonzales has only fought once, winning a six-round bout in Planet Hollywood against Florida-based Robert daLuz, while Maraon still has to get a fight.
"It's too late for me to get them to fight in my undercard but I will ask Atty. Gacal to handle them starting now," Manny told me.
Manny learned of Gonzales and Maraon's plight following an article which appeared in www.philboxing.com and www.thepinoyboxers.com that quoted me as saying that I had asked Top Rank to release the two boxers from their contractual obligations and that I was bringing them home to the Philippines.
"(Michael) Koncz will no longer handle the boxers' schedules. It will be Atty. Gacal who will talk to Top Rank about the boxers' fights from now on," Manny said in response to my complaint that Koncz was interfering with the fight schedule of Gonzales and Maraon.
Gonzales, 23, a featherweight who has a record of 7 wins, 4 KOs, and 1 draw, and Maraon, also 23, a bantamweight with a record of 10 wins, 8 KOs and 1 draw, signed up with Top Rank late last year on the recommendation of Manny Pacquiao himself.
They are two of about a dozen outstanding boxers from Mindanao who belong to the Braveheart Boxing Club who are virtually unknown outside of the island.
When the boxers arrived in the US, however, Koncz called me up to say that Top Rank and MP Promotions, which is Manny Pacquiao's promotional outfit, have an agreement that all Filipino boxers appearing in Top Rank cards must go through MP Promotions.
Following a meeting with Manny Pacquiao, an arrangement on the purse percentage that would go to MP Promotions was reached and Gonzales was given a fight on July 5.
Then, everything was quiet. That was until I decided to bring the two boys home to get back into the ring in the Philippines as they had been inactive for a long time.
With Manny's call this afternoon, things might yet change. But in the meantime, the decision to bring Gonzales and Maraon home to have two or three fights before taking a crack at the Philippine titles in their respective divisions, stands.
In spite of this, one cannot help but admire the gesture of humility on the part of Manny Pacquiao.
Such is the heart of this young man who has made history by becoming the greatest Asian prizefighter of all time. And it is this soft heart that endears him to his countrymen.
Win or lose, Manny Pacquiao will always be a champion to the Filipino people.
Pacquiao, Dela Hoya take breather: It’s show time
Tickets to the “Dream Match” between Manny Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya have long been sold out and yet the two superstars in the thick of training are still taking time out to promote the Dec. 6 showdown.
Dela Hoya, the king of pay-per-view, is all set to appear on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Sunday (today in Manila). He will be the episode’s special guest and is expected to make a few announcements.
Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king, is being prepped as guest on the popular Jimmy Kimmel Live, an American late-night talk show being broadcast on ABC. It is the longest running ABC late-night talk show since the Dick Cavett Show in the early ‘70s.
Bob Arum told The STAR that Pacquiao might appear on the show close to the fight, and the likeable Filipino superstar, the Top Rank president said, “would be asked to sing a song or play a musical instrument.”
Pacquiao appearing in a popular late-night talk show is part of the promotions for the coming fight which has already brought the two fighters to several key places like New York, San Antonio and San Francisco last month.
For his fight against Hector Velasquez in 2006, Pacquiao threw the ceremonial pitch in a California Angels match, and against Jorge Solis later on was asked to appear in a San Antonio Spurs ballgame in San Antonio though it didn’t happen.
“This time we’re concentrating on appearances that are cross-over. And this big late-night show of Jimmy Kimmel should take Manny across the country,” said Arum of the show that already had the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Tyson and Tom Cruise as guests.
Last week, ESPN’s primetime newsmagazine aired a very special feature on the life of Pacquiao – his rise from poverty to being a national hero in the Philippines. The special feature was reported by Jeremy Schaap.
He said tickets to the fight, set at the 17,000-seat Grand Arena of the fabulous MGM Grand of Las Vegas, have “all been gone” and with the continued promotional gigs they’re hoping to catch more on the PPV sales.
Promoters are hoping that it could match or even the surpass the record 2.4 million PPV buys generated by the Dela Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight last year.
“So can Pacquiao’s “Dream Match” with De La Hoya out do those numbers? It’s hard to say. There are many factors in this year’s economy that were certainly different from 2007,” it was written on the Internet recently.
“It’s often said that in times of recession, recreational items such as concerts and sporting events are the first to get hit. The Global market is in turmoil these days, financial markets everywhere are taking a plunge and come Christmas time, many people might be reluctant to part with their cash on items such as Pay-Per-View.
“(But) Yes, I believe Pacquiao can break the Pay-Per-View record over Mayweather Jr’s ass,” wrote Johnny Benz of DogHouseBoxing.com.
OPLAN OSCAR HATCHED IN HOLLYWOOD
PhilBoxing.com
Hollywood, CA -- Manny Pacquiao revs up a pyretic grind at his private camp, intent in handing Oscar de la Hoya a thorough drubbing when they collide at MGM's Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Determined to surprise the favored Golden Boy, the Pinoy idol is pulling all stops for a record-setting thriller certain to bust the charts ratings-wise. Live gate attendance earlier sold-out in record time.
A decisive Pacquiao triumph over Hoya allows him to leave a defining legacy enroute to a new plunge in politics. But that’s another story.
“It’s Manny by knockout” chief trainer Freddie Roach brags each time hawks in media accosts him for a take on the ‘big vs. small' confrontation.
“My man knows where to land his knockout blows. Manny is well-coached on when to plant his vicious shots -- in areas where Oscar is rendered clueless as to how he’ll win,” cocky Roach explained.
“Guaranteed” added the two-time trainer of the year, revealing a part of the body where a well-placed punch can brutally terminate the Dec.6 showdown.
Manny is not addressing Roach’s insistence of an abbreviated “Dream Match” but allows that such a possibility is not only doable but achievable.
Oplan Oscar, a well-crafted fight plan is strategized at Roach's Wildcard Hollywood headquarters on Vine.
Away from prying eyes of spies?
Careful snoops. If caught, you’ll find yourself whisked in an ambulance to an ICU for a quick check-up?
Not to worry . Fans can still get his coveted signature and pose for pictures after the Pacman is through working out.
One vital move he is in-synch with his trainers is for a 145 pound weigh-in limit and a 155 lbs. fight-weight. Give or take a pound or two.
Ideal for Pacquiao but not for de la Hoya who is facing a quicker and stronger slugger -- Oscar’s height, weight and heft edges -- notwithstanding.
The book titled The Art and Practice of English Boxing yields an interesting passage: “The parts of the body (head) in which a blow is struck with the greatest probability of terminating the battle are on the eye, between the eyebrows, in the bridge of the nose or the temporal artery, beneath the left ear, under the short ribs—and in the pit of the stomach.”
Sounds familiar?
Reminds you of Bernard Hopkins on that fateful night at the MGM Grand Oscar?
At Big Bear Mountains of the Golden State, Oscar Hoya is tightening-up his reliable left hook, ridding its arc-like delivery to exact optimum damage.
But Pacquiao is capable of unleashing his own effective counters when threatened by such hooks.
As tight as the skinflints on Pugsville Row?
Keep tuned.
Top photo: Oscar de la Hoya (R) talks to the author during the 'Dream Match' promotional tour in San Francisco. Photo by Emmanuel Rivera.
ESPN poll picks Hoya over Pacman
By Nick Giongco
In an on-going poll being conducted by ESPN Boxing, 56 percent of voters believe Oscar De La Hoya will repulse the challenge of Filipino favorite Manny Pacquiao when they collide on Dec. 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Of the 13,016 polled, 44 percent, however, are convinced that Pacquiao, who will be jumping up two weight classes, can pull off an upset win.
Pacquiao last fought as a lightweight (135 lbs), while De La Hoya will go down a bit from super-welterweight (154 lbs) to welter (147 lbs) in what is expected to be a smashing success in pay-per-view sales considering that all 16,000 seats at the Grand Garden Arena have either been sold out or purchased in advance by the major stakeholders of the promotion.
The ESPN figures do not exactly mirror the Las Vegas betting line, which lists De La Hoya as a 2-1 favorite.
Even the Ring magazine — which the Golden Boy owns — ran a poll on who would win the clash between Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king and De La Hoya, the pay-per-view champion, in its commemorative issue that hit the streets last week.
Of the 20 polled, only two picked Pacquiao to emerge victorious.
But when one raised the issue with members of Team Pacquiao, they just ignored it, saying they were numbers.
Freddie Roach, on whose hands rests Pacquiao’s fate, strongly believes there’s no way De La Hoya, who is pushing 36, will turn back the hands of time even if he has been busy beefing up his training team with marquee names.
"I like where Manny is right now," said Roach, noting that the 29-year-old puncher always look good in training.
"Manny’s 151 lbs now and he’s going down slowly," said Roach, sounding very confident that making the 147-lb limit on the eve of the fight won’t pose a problem."
"Manny’s body contains just 5 percent fat and he looks great," added Roach, who expects the workouts to intensify even further with the addition of sparring rounds every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This Tuesday, Pacquiao will begin sparring eight rounds and around 15 to 20 days before the fight, he will log 12 rounds of sparring in one training day.
Kabasares: What if Pacquiao lives next door?
By Cris D. Kabasares
SAN FRANCISCO, California -- Filipino boxing idol Manny Pacquiao, 29 years old, 5"6', told a crowd in New York during the "dream match" HBO Pay-Per View promotional tour that "some people are criticizing Oscar De La Hoya for picking a small opponent like me and some say I took this fight for the money. I'll prove them wrong -- I will be fighting to give glory and honor to my country, "asahan 'nyo, si Manny Pacquiao, tatayo hanggat may hininga. Hindi ako susuko," the Filipino Reporter quoted the Gensan City fighter. Pacquiao records stand at 47-3-2, 35 K0s.
The more engaging and crowd-getter Oscar De La Hoya, 35 years old, 5'10, from East Los Angeles, told the crowd in this city's Crissy Field: "I'll stop his (Pacquiao) streak of defeating Mexican boxers.
What's your take on the Mindanao crisis? Discuss views with other readers
The fight, according to Nancy Gay, "has become a fight for national and ethnic pride."
The megastar Oscar De La Hoya is a 2 to 1 favorite to beat (Manny) Pacquiao when the two meet on December 6 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas in a 12-round welterweight (147 pounds) bout, writes San Francisco Chronicle's Nancy Gay. De La Hoya's record: 39-5, 30 by way of K0s.
The Filipino Reporter (New York) publisher and editor-in-chief Bert Pelayo told this writer he gives the fight to the Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya because he's bigger and he's a ring tactician.
The December 6 dream match has been sold out hours after the box office opened.
I'm a late hanger-on to the Manny Pacquiao mania that has swept the Philippines like wild fire since he started thrashing some of the greatest living Mexican boxers.
I haven't followed the odyssey of this Bukidnon-born boxing marvel named Emmanuel Dadidran Pacquiao. Although I had enough time to do a lot of things, I read his ring exploits in the sports pages only when I felt like doing it. It was, incredibly, a case of apathy. And one thing more -- I am an avid football fan.
Time, however, like life itself, does change.
And here's why!
While vacationing in Davao City during the months of May through August, this year, rumor spread in our village that the champ from Gensan has expressed interest in acquiring a property in Durian city. He was, as the rumor went, particularly eyeing a lot at the lush Mountain Haven Subdivision in Barangay Eden, Toril, some 17 miles from the SM City in Matina. My wife and I own a modest vacation home there. The place isn't bereft of a superstar, Sharon Cuneta owns a lot there. But there's still room for another prominent name. Manny Pacquiao could be the one.
The rumor remains, well -- just that -- a rumor. But what's exciting about it was it churned out some whimsical questions in my mind.
What, if indeed Pacquiao becomes my neighbor?
What if we run into each other while jogging around the subdivision?
How would I break the ice, so to speak?
"Hi Champ" would definitely be a proper greeting to start what in due course could be a lasting neighborly ties with a bona fide celebrity, I think.
So I thought of brushing up with my stats on the Pacquiao fame rather pronto. With Google a mere click away, it wasn't entirely a bad idea.
On June 26, I drove to Mandaya Hotel in Davao City to pay for two seats for the Manny Pacquiao-David Diaz fight on pay-per view and buffet lunch at the hotel's lobby. This was Philippines' boxing immortal's outing for another crown, the WBC (World Boxing Council) lightweight title. This I've got to see, I told my wife.
Two days before the scheduled match, I "texted" a few friends in and around Mindanao, including Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar S. Moreno, to ask them whom they'd pick to win the fight. To a man, they rooted for Pacquiao. I had to text an old friend in Manila, a retired sports journalist who had covered some of the biggest fights in his time, including the October 1, 1975 Mohammad Ali-Joe Frazier "Thrilla in Manila," to get an opposing choice. The guy risked to forecast a Diaz win. Pacquiao had barely slithered a split decision (SD) over Mexico's Juan Manuel Marquez in their March 15, 2008 fight for the World Boxing Council's super featherweight crown at the Mandalay Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, he stated.
The Filipino champ fought poorly, his timing was erratic, like he was off a delicate choreography. He sent Marquez to the canvass in the second round but failed to finish him off which was a slight departure from his vaunted skills. After that the Mexican fighter furiously traded punches with and scored effectively against Pacquiao. Marquez had cornered the Filipino mauler many times, he said.
"Cris, take a peek at the details of the fight in the papers -- you'll agree with my choice," he added.
He was right. All 28 sports writers who covered the bout, including three Filipinos -- Ronnie Nathanielz, Francis Ochoa, and Ricah Trinidad -- scored the match for Marquez. He (Marquez) landed 34 percent of his punches, Pacquiao cleared 25 percent; in the power hits, Marquez scored 42 percent, while Pacquiao managed only 37 percent. Marquez's jabs found their marks 21 percent of the time, Pacquiao struggled with a mere 14.
The judges scored: Judge Duane Ford: Pacquiao 115, Marquez 112; Judge Jerry Roth: Pacquiao 112, Marquez 115; Judge Toni Miller: Pacquiao 114, Marquez 113.
On June 28, I saw the Filipino champ drop David Diaz with his legendary left at the 2.24 mark of the ninth round to annex a fourth crown. Pacquiao was at his best, I thought.
After the Pacquiao victory, I "texted" my Manila friend to find out what he thought of the fight. His cell phone was unattended.
On December 6, I'll watch the fight on HBO.
Sports writers predict this fight to be risky for Pacquiao.
I wouldn't let my neighbor down!
* * * * *
(Cris D. Kabasares writes a column for a New York newspaper.)
Freddie Roach: “Dundee Changes Nothing with Oscar”
“I don’t care if Oscar has Major Dundee in his camp,” said Roach, upon hearing the Dundee news. “No one is going to be able to help Oscar pull the trigger when he faces Manny on December 6!”
87 year-old Dundee has worked with fifteen world champions during his career, most notably Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard. Nacho Beristain will remain as De La Hoya’s chief trainer for the fight with Pacquiao.
Freddie Roach trained De La Hoya for his last fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
THE GOLDEN BOY" TO MAKE APPEARANCE ON ABC'S EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION THIS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 2ND
PhilBoxing.com
LOS ANGELES, October 31 - Ten-time World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Oscar de la Hoya will be featured on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on Sunday, November 2nd. "The Golden Boy" will be on the show as a special guest to make two surprise announcements to Tim and Michelle Hill and their four children, a family who with the support of their community is having their home and boxing gym rebuilt. The episode will air on Sunday, November 2nd at 8:00pm PT/ET and 7:00pm CT on ABC.
The Hill family has faced economic hardships and has put all of their money into keeping their gym open for the local youths to train in while staying off of the streets. As there is no charge for children to train in the gym, it has become a very popular place for children in the community.
"Tim and Michelle are real heroes and I admire what they have done for their community," said De La Hoya. "Their unselfish acts of kindness have brought an entire community together by taking kids off the rough streets and allowing them to train in their gym free of charge. This facility has been a second home to most of the kids in the community and I'm pleased to be a part of making the gym more affordable for the Hills. The next time I'm in New York I plan on visiting the Hill family's new house and boxing gym."
"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," which has won back-to-back Emmy Awards as Best Reality Program (non-competitive), is entering its 6th season on ABC. The program is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol Holding. Anthony Dominici is the executive producer; and David Goldberg is the president of Endemol USA.
RESPETO PARA KAY BUBOY FERNANDEZ
PhilBoxing.com
By Manny Pacquiao
LOS ANGELES — Kumusta po kayong lahat. Sana ay nasa mabuti kayong kalagayan.
Kung ako po ang inyong kukumustahin, maayos na maayos po ang aking kundisyon at maganda at tahimik ang aming training camp para sa paghahanda namin kay Oscar Dela Hoya sa Disyembre 6 sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bukod sa masaya kami ni Coach Freddie Roach sa aming punch mitts sessions dahil malaya at bukas ang aming pagpapalitan ng kaalaman tungkol sa estilo ni Dela Hoya, mainam din ang aking mga ka-spar dahil lahat sila ay pawang magagaling, malalakas at mabibilis.
Bukod sa matinding paghahanda at pagsasakripisyo naming, masasabi kong malalim din ang pagsusuri ng aking koponan sa mga bagay na pwedeng mangyari at gawin ni Dela Hoya sa araw ng laban. Naririyan si Eric Brown at ang aking pinagkakatiwalaang tinyente na si Buboy Fernandez na naging dalubhasa na rin sa sining ng boksing.
Sa bawat galaw na aming ginagawa sa ring, naririyan si Buboy upang magbigay din ng kaniyang mahalaga at malalim na kaalaman at lubos akong nasisiyahan sa kanyang mga tulong.
Halos buong buhay ko nang kilala si Buboy, mula pa noong kami ay mga bata pa sa Labangal, sa General Santos City, kung saan kami lumaki. Kabitbahay ko si Buboy at halos apat na taon lang ang diperensiya ng aming edad. Natatandaan ko pa noon, butas-butas pa ang aming mga salawal. Nagkahiwalay ang aming landas nang ako ay nagsimulang maghanap ng aking kapalaran at napadpad sa Digos, Davao del Sur at sa Maynila, kung saan ako ay nagsimulang manalo bilang isang professional sa gulang na 16.
Naaalala ko nang bumalik ako sa General Santos noong 1999 bilang isa nang kampeon. Nagkita ulit kami ni Buboy at naisip kong tulungan siya dahil bukod sa marami kaming pinagsamahan noong kami ay mga bata, alam kong malaki ang pwede niyang maitulong sa akin. Naninigarilyo, sunog sa araw ang kaniyang balat, payat at butas pa rin ang suot na salawal, isinama ko si Buboy sa Maynila upang doon din niya hanapin ang kaniyang kapalaran.
Sa edad na 24, tinuruan ko si Buboy na humawak ng mitts at magsanay bilang isang trainer at kahit na hirap na hirap siya at kung minsan ay naiiyak din sa hirap ng buhay, unti-unting natuto at gumaling si Buboy. Ilan pang panahon ang nagdaan, nakita kong mas magaling na siya kaysa sa ibang mga datihang trainer sa gym.
Nang ako ay naging world champion ulit sa super-bantamweight division, isinama ko na rin si Buboy sa America at siya na ang humahalili kay Coach Freddie sa maraming bagay. Sa laban na ito at sa mga nagdaan pang mga laban, si Buboy ay matiyagang nanonood ng mga DVD at mga tapes ng laban ng aking mga makakalaban at nabubuo rin niya ang tamang sistema upang talunin at wasakin ang anumang estilo nila. Malayo na ang narating ni Buboy at ako ay natutuwa dahil nang siya ay aking tinawag upang sumama may sampung taon na ang nakararaan, hindi niya ako hinindian. Ngayon, isa na siyang trainer na malalim na rin ang kaalaman sa sining ng pakikipaglaban.
Salamat, Buboy!
Sana po ay tuluyan pa rin ninyo kaming suportahan sa pinakamalaking laban natin. Hanggang sa muling Kumbinasyon. God bless us all.
Top photo: Buboy Fernandez assisting Pacquiao's stretching exercise during the Cebu training camp for the Barrera fight.
